Big Pharma loves to find new uses for old drugs.
Developing the next big “blockbuster” pill is time-consuming and expensive. Repurposing old compounds for new uses is much cheaper and faster.
Two of the most well-known drugs to get recycled are Pfizer’s Viagra and Rogaine. Viagra was developed as a heart drug. Rogaine was intended to treat high blood pressure.
The latest pharmaceutical to possibly get rebranded is an anti-cancer drug called camptothecin. Big Pharma hopes it will be the next big “breakthrough” pill for weight loss.
Let me explain…
Researchers found that boosting levels of a hunger-suppressing hormone called growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF 15) resulted in weight loss. But low levels result in weight gain and obesity.1
The scientists then searched existing databases for a drug that could increase GDF production – and found the anti-tumor pill camptothecin.
Animal studies determined that the drug could reduce the body weight of obese mice by about 11%. But here’s the thing… This drug was found to have such negative side effects that its use as a cancer therapy was suspended!
With almost 80% of Americans overweight or obese, finding weight-loss solutions is necessary. But reliable weight loss shouldn’t involve harming your health – and even risking your life.
When patients come to me to help them shed excess fat and pounds, I tell them about a natural weight-loss extract I first learned about from village elders during my African travels. Known locally as Ogbonna, it was eaten for centuries by native warriors to stay slim, strong, and battle-ready.
In the Western world, it goes by many names, including bush mango, wild mango, and Irvingia gabonensis.
The bush mango is noteworthy because it can lead to a 20% loss of body fat – that’s more than double what the cancer drug could do.
In a clinical study, scientists in the west African nation of Cameroon split 100 participants into two groups. One group was given the bush mango, and the other a placebo.2
Neither group made any other changes in their lifestyle.
By the end of the 10 weeks, the placebo group only lost three pounds.
But those who took the bush mango lost an average of 28 pounds. They also saw improvement in other health markers, including better total cholesterol, lower C-reactive protein, and lower blood glucose levels.
Like the anti-cancer drug, the science behind the bush mango’s fat-loss secret involves hormones.
Two of the most important hormones that regulate fat cell growth and division are adiponectin and leptin. These are what I refer to as your fat-burning switches.
Unlike many other hormones, adiponectin and leptin don’t decrease with age. Your fat cells keep producing them, no matter what. It’s one of the main reasons why we gain weight as we age.
Adiponectin and leptin send signals determining how “fat” your fat cells get and how often they divide.
They also control your blood sugar levels — and how much of that sugar gets stored as fat.
Bush mango brings adiponectin and leptin levels into a healthy balance thanks to its ability to “turn on” the switch that regulates its production.
Stop overindulging in nature’s appetite suppressants.
Let’s be honest… food is one of life’s greatest pleasures, and it’s easy to overeat. But there are ways to keep from overheating. Here are two appetite suppressants from Bali that I’ve used myself:
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- Try the slimming secret of the sacred lotus. One of the most beautiful things I saw in Bali was the Sacred Lotus flower blossoming above the surface of the freshwater ponds. But these flowers are more than just something to look at… They are potent fat fighters. One study found that lotus leaf extracts reduced fat and carbohydrate absorption, stimulated metabolism, and increased energy, resulting in significant weight loss in mice fed a high-fat diet for five weeks.3 A second study of obese rats found that the lotus reduced the animals’ ability to produce new fat cells and increased how quickly existing fat cells were broken down.4
- Stimulate your brain’s fullness signal. Ylang ylang is another beautiful Balinese flower. Traditional healers have used it for hundreds of years to suppress appetite and control food cravings. It also reduces anxiety, depression, and stress – all factors that lead to overeating. Ylang-ylang does this by stimulating your brain’s “I’m full” signal. It’s available online as an essential oil. Add a drop or two to a cup of warm water and sip.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
References:
1. Lu J, et al. “Camptothecin effectively treats obesity in mice through GDF15 induction.” PLoS Biol. 2022 Feb 24;20(2):e3001517.
2. Di Pierro F, et al. “Greenselect Phytosome as an adjunct to a low-calorie diet for treatment of obesity: a clinical trial.” Altern Med Rev. 2009 Jun;14(2):154-60.
3. Yuka Ono, et al. “Anti-obesity effect of Nelumbo nucifera leaves extract in mice and rats.” Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2008 Feb;72(2):477-84.
4. Huan Du, et al. “Antiobesity and hypolipidemic effects of lotus leaf hot water extract with taurine supplementation in rats fed a high-fat diet.” J Biomed Sci. 2010; 17(Suppl 1): S42.